Chapter 785: Beginning

After He Lingchuan arrived at Rong Mountain, he entrusted Elder Dao to send someone to the Songyang Prefecture branch in Dunyu City, and the recipient was Ling Guang!

After a long separation, the Medicine Ape was so excited that it couldn't speak human language, just beating his shoulders while screaming.

After He Lingchuan fell into the water, it thought its master-killing talent had taken effect again, and it was heartbroken for a long time.

After more than half a year, the master miraculously appeared again and even made an appointment to meet at the Hanhe battlefield.

Ling Guang was skeptical when it came, but now it was overjoyed!

Of course, this bit of strength was not painful or itchy to He Lingchuan now.

The monkey seemed lighter, so he grabbed a few candies from his arms and handed them over: "A meeting gift, this is Beijia's crispy sugar." Then he pointed to the squirrel on the other shoulder, "This is your new partner."

The squirrel threw a look of disdain; who wanted such an indiscreet partner? It simply jumped onto Qiu Hu and didn't even look at the monkey.

He Lingchuan led everyone toward the shore.

After Ling Guang calmed down a little, He Lingchuan patted its back: "Alright, alright. I ask you, have you told anyone else about my return to the Yuan Nation?"

Ling Guang's eyes were bright, and it shook its head: "No, I burned the letter and came to find you."

"Excellent." He Lingchuan smiled, "Now tell me,

Ling Guang asked him: "Do you want to go back to Dunyu and take a look?"

"Where is my father?"

"He should be in Yuan Capital by now," Ling Guang said. "If you had come back a month earlier, you could have seen him in Dunyu."

"It's not too late now." Facing the oncoming spring breeze, He Lingchuan said leisurely, "I'm going to Yuan Capital too."

Dong Rui rubbed his hands: "The candied fruit there is delicious." He had been there once and couldn't forget it.

Yes, that was the time he was hired to snipe at General Ke Jihai.

He Lingchuan, however, said: "You and the Matriarch aren't going."

He had also hesitated for a long time before making this decision.

"Hm. What?" Dong Rui was very surprised. "We aren't going?"

"The Ghost Ape is too conspicuous; I'm afraid it will be recognized." The Ghost Ape had sniped at Ke Jihai and He Chunhua, so it shouldn't appear near Yuan Capital.

He Lingchuan then pointed at Zhu Xiuer: "And the Matriarch shouldn't appear anywhere."

Even if Zhu Xiuer had disguised herself, once she appeared in public, there was still a possibility of her identity being exposed.

His trip to the Yuan Nation was already dangerous enough; he couldn't add more variables, so after much thought, it was better for these two "great gods" not to show their faces.

Zhu Xiuer had no objections.

She didn't really care for human cities to begin with.

Dong Rui pulled a long face: "If you weren't taking us, why didn't you say so earlier! Then I'm leaving!"

"Where are you going?"

"What's it to you?" Dong Rui said amusingly. "The world is vast; where can't I go?"

"The world is vast, but there's no place for you to stay." He Lingchuan bent his arm and hooked it around his neck. "Think about your great achievements!"

Dong Rui squeezed a few words through his teeth: "I'm not as bad as you!"

The culprit was clearly He Lingchuan, right? At best, he was just an accomplice.

"Hey, why distinguish between you and me for these things?" He Lingchuan smiled. "You and the Matriarch head south first; I'll find you once I've finished my business. By the way, take Ling Guang with you!"

"Squeak!" Ling Guang scratched its ears and cheeks. They had finally reunited, so why was it being left behind again?

"I've thought it through on this journey; some things have to be settled by myself." He Lingchuan touched the monkey's head. "You guys just eat and drink along the way, playing as you head south. In three to five months at most, we will definitely meet. Hey, I've always kept my word; when have I ever broken a promise to you?"

It—it really hadn't. Ling Guang pulled a bitter face.

After He Lingchuan finally pacified the monkey, Zhu Xiuer asked him: "Where shall we rendezvous?"

She was not human and did not have such abundant emotions.

"You go ahead and wait for me at the southern port of Baishawan." He Lingchuan beckoned Zhu Xiuer to the water's edge and whispered to her, "Keep an eye on Dong Rui; don't let him slip away."

Dong Rui knew too many of his secrets; he absolutely could not let him go. The three of them were grasshoppers tied to the same string.

Zhu Xiuer gave a hum: "Understood; he won't leave my sight."

He Lingchuan knew that she meant what she said and could do what she promised, so he pushed his luck: "You also have eyeball spiders, right? Give me a few."

"Take them."

Zhu Xiuer was more generous than her sister; she gave him four eyeball spiders right away.

￥￥￥￥￥

Peach blossoms hold the overnight rain; willows are green, carrying the morning mist.

April and May in Shi Huan City are the most beautiful times of the year.

In the He family's new residence in Shi Huan City, there was a century-old peach tree in the courtyard, currently in full bloom, with rolling pink clouds pressing against the walls.

That kind of brilliant, explosive beauty can only be appreciated by witnessing it in person.

The rain had just stopped, and Lady Ying walked into the garden. She had just frowned at the petals on the ground when the servants hurried over to sweep them up.

He Chunhua had come to the capital to receive his title and rewards, and the whole family had followed. Everyone knew they would never return to Xiazhou.

The Yuan Nation's rewards included this twenty-five-acre residence, along with two farms on the outskirts of Shi Huan City. After the He family arrived in the capital, they didn't need to purchase a home.

This was a century-old mansion; the previous owner hadn't maintained it carefully, and it had been left vacant for a long time after being confiscated, so it was inevitably dilapidated. Some wooden parts had rotted, the weeds in the garden were taller than a person, and moss was almost climbing to the top of the walls.

However, Lady Ying was quite satisfied with its layout. For the past few days, she had been directing craftsmen and servants to repair the furniture and tidy up the garden, busy to the point of not having a moment to rest.

The house was old, but that didn't matter; as long as the layout and foundation were good, Lady Ying was confident she could turn it back into a grand, ancestral mansion.

She had brought back many decorations from Xiazhou, placing them one by one in their new home.

The servants from Dunyu had basically been dismissed, with only a few clever and loyal ones following them. The family was starting from scratch, and people were needed everywhere. Now, Steward Wu had come to report that a new batch of forty servants had arrived, asking the mistress of the house to go and select them.

Lady Ying waved her hand: "You choose them; just keep twenty."

Steward Wu was an old hand He Chunhua had brought from Heishuicheng, having served the He family for over a decade; Lady Ying trusted him completely.

"Twenty? Wouldn't that be too few?" Counting these twenty new recruits, there would only be fifty servants for a twenty-five-acre residence—the labor force was insufficient.

"The Master said that since we've just arrived in Shi Huan and the environment outside is poor, and the Royal Court is advocating frugality, it wouldn't be appropriate for us to be too extravagant." Lady Ying thought for a moment. "What about the furniture?"

"The new furniture will arrive this afternoon; this is the second batch." Steward Wu asked for instructions: "How would you like it arranged?"

"Send a set to Yue'er's place. And in Chuan'er's courtyard..." Lady Ying hesitated for a long time. "... send a set there too."

"The side halls and side courtyards are still not fully furnished." Steward Wu confirmed with her: "My Lady, the roads in the south are blocked; the next batch won't arrive for at least two months."

(End of chapter)